Geta are a type of Japanese wooden sandal that raises your feet off the floor. When one walks on a hard surface with them on, every step is accompanied by the loud clacking of the shoes hitting the ground.

Once, my roommate got a pair of geta in the mail. He took them out, looked at them happily and promptly put them away in the cabinet. For the next few weeks I was a bit puzzled why he never wore them, so finally I asked. He just smiled at me, put on the geta and walked off down the hall. I noticed how loud the shoes were: I could hear his footsteps quite clearly even though he had walked to the other side of the building!

Also, some people find them to be rather uncomfortable, seeing as how they are made of wood with no cushioning on them. I wore them a few times, and I remember how comfortable my feet felt after I had taken them off...